Seven reasons for Cape York World Heritage listing: report

TONY EASTLEY: Traditional owners on Cape York are still reluctant to nominate the region for World Heritage listing despite new evidence supporting the move.

An independent report commissioned by the Federal Government has found that there are seven ways the region would meet the criteria.

The panel's report lists Cape York's rich aquatic ecosystems and globally significant savannah as some of the reasons it should be included.

However traditional owners are worried a heritage listing might put the brakes on new industry and more jobs.

Stephanie Smail reports.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: The panel was asked to investigate whether Cape York has the outstanding universal value required to become a World Heritage area.

Professor Peter Valentine says the region's pristine savannah is one of the reasons it does.

PETER VALENTINE: If you look across the world there are very few extremely rare examples of savannah that are still functioning as they were before the industrial era. So Cape York savannahs are like that. They're in excellent condition; they hold the integrity the World Heritage Committee would be looking for in any natural World Heritage site.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: A report compiled by the panel says Cape York's rainforests and bauxite landscapes also make it an internationally significant region.

PETER VALENTINE: Some of those lagoons provide a spectacle of wetland bird species for example which is hard to beat anywhere. It's just an amazing sight. And more of us don't have the opportunity to see this spectacle of nature.

STEPHANIE SMAIL: But the report's findings will do little to further the case for a World Heritage listing if traditional owners don't support it.

The Federal Government won't nominate the region without the permission of people like Bernard Charlie. He's the Mayor of the Northern Peninsula Area and a traditional owner, and he's against the listing for economic reasons.

BERNARD CHARLIE: It'll stop future economic growth in the homelands. But we know where the sacred sites are, and therefore from my point it view should go under the World Heritage, but only the specific part that has been identified.

STEPHANIE SMAIL The Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke says the report shows Cape York could easily make the World Heritage list. But he wants traditional owners to make the next move.

TONY BURKE: What we've effectively done is hand the pen to traditional owner groups and said, we're not going to rush you, we're not going to push you; it's your land, you make the call.

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